Career Management & Work/Life Integration: Using Self-Assessment to Navigate Contemporary Careers is a comprehensive, easy-to-follow guide to managing contemporary careers. Although grounded in theory, the book also provides an extensive set of exercises and activities that can guide career management over the lifespan. Authors Brad Harrington and Douglas T. Hall offer a highly useful self-assessment guide for students and other individuals who want to deal with the challenge of succeeding in a meaningful career while living a happy, well-balanced life. Key Features Bridges theory and application: While the book helps readers gain a better understanding of theories on careers, work life, and human resources, it also guides them to develop a tailored, personalized career strategy for themselves. Offers a rigorous self-assessment process: Serving as the book's foundation, this self-assessment guide gives readers a wealth of information and insight regarding their own career priorities and strategies. Provides a more thorough experiential view than existing books: This book integrates work from both the career management and the work life field while most academic literature treats these two areas separately. Intended Audience Career Management & Work/Life Integration is a great resource for employers and career planning offices. This book will also by ideal for undergraduate and graduate courses in Career Management; Leadership Development; Organizational Behavior; and Human Resource Management in the departments of business, management, and organizational psychology. Instructor's Resources Available upon request, an instructor's resource CD accompanies the book and includes such teaching aids as PowerPoint slides, and teaching notes for each chapter, as well as assignments, key concepts, and terms for each chapter.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments 1. Understanding the New Career Three Career Cases The Barnes Family Helen Casey The Smith Family The Changing Landscape of Careers The Changing Nature of Families The New Careers Our Career and Work-Life Model 2. The Self-Assessment Process The Basic Areas of Self-Assessment Reflecting on the Past Identity as a Core Competence Clarifying Your Values Understanding Your Interests and Passions Lifestyle Understanding Life Goals and Personal Vision Skills Assessment Summary 3. Integrating Your Self-Assessment and Developing Implications Integrating Your Self-Assessment Developing Themes from Your Data Step 1: Coding Your Data Step 2: Grouping Your Data Step 3: Assigning Tentative Themes step 4: Constructing the Final Themes With Supporting Data Sample Themes Developing Career and Work-Life Implications Summary 4. Finding Ideal Work Job Loss Assessing the Labor Market Identifying the Right Opportunities for You Job Search Tools References Résumés Starting a Professional Portfolio Cover Letters Conducting the Job Search Networking and the Job Search Informational Interviews Guidelines for Conducting an Informational Interview Questions to Ask Identifying the Ideal Employer Special Challenges and Tips for International Students Who Want to Work in the United States Career Decision-Making Summary 5. Career Development Strategies Organizational Career Paths From Career Ladders to Career Lattices Vertical Careers and Organizational Advancement Managing Up Alternative Career Paths-Salzman′s Typology Backtrackers Plateauers Career Shifters Self-Employers Urban Escapees The Portfolio Career Ongoing Development Organizational Career Systems International Assignments Financial Considerations Summary 6. Work and Family Men and Women, Families and Work Dual-Career Couples Dual-Career Families Sources of Stress Role Conflict Summary 7. Workplace Flexibility Flexible Work Arrangements Flextime Compressed Work Week Part-Time and Reduced-Load Work Job Sharing Telecommuting Leaves Sabbaticals Other Elements of the Family-Friendly Workplace The Family-Friendly Workplace Culture The Dark Side of Flexible Work Arrangements Summary 8. Career Development Over the Lifespan Lifespan Development: Are Career and Life Stages Still Relevant Today? Adult Life Stages Gender and Life Stages A New Model for Middle and Later Years: Learning Cycles The Second (or Third or Fourth) Career Protean Career and Older Workers How Do We Tap the Potential of Older Workers? Use Developmental Relationships Opt for New and Varied Job Experience Improve Person--Job Brokering Use Information Technology Retirement How Do I Want to Design My Life for the Thir Phase? Financial Planning and Careers in Later Life Summarizing Careers Over the Lifespan Book Summary Appendix: Standards of Excellence Index Bibliography Index About the Authors